Kavala | Tourism Sight

The city was founded at about the end of the 7th century BC by settlers from Thassos, who called it Neapolis (Νεάπολις; "new city" in Greek). It was one of the colonies that the Thassians founded along the coastline in order to take advantage of the rich gold and silver mines of the territory, especially those located in the nearby Pangaion mountain (which were eventually exploited by Phillip the Second of Macedonia).
The worship of "Parthenos", a female deity of Greek–Ionian origin, is archaeologically attested in the archaic period. At the end of the 6th century BC Neapolis claimed its independence from Thassos and cut its own silver coins with the head of Gorgo  on the one side. At the beginning of the 5th century BC a large Ionic temple made from thassian marble replaced the archaic one. Parts of it can now be seen in the archaeological museum of Kavala.
In 411 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, Neapolis was besieged by the allied armies of the Spartans and the Thassians but remained faithful to Athens. Two Athenian honorary decrees in 410 and 407 BC rewarded Neapolis for its loyalty.
Neapolis was a town of Macedonia, located 14 km (9 mi) from the harbor of Philippi. Neapolis was a member of the Athenian League; a pillar found in Athens mentions the contribution of Neapolis to the alliance.
Via Egnatia in Kavala.
The military Roman road Via Egnatia passed through the city helped commerce to flourish. It became a Roman civitas in 168 BC, and was a base for Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, before their defeat in the Battle of Philippi. (Appian, B.C. iv. 106; Dion Cass. xlvii. 35.). The Apostle Paul landed at Kavala on his first voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11).
In the 6th century, Byzantine emperor Justinian I fortified the city in an effort to protect it from barbaric raids. In later Byzantine times the city was called Christoupolis (Χριστούπολις, "city of Christ") and belonged to the theme of Macedonia. The first mention of the new name is recorded in a taktikon of the early 9th century. The city is also mentioned in the "Life of St. Gregory of Dekapolis". In the 8th and 9th century, Bulgarian attacks forced the Byzantines to reorganize the defense of the area, giving great care to Christoupolis with fortifications and a notable garrison. In 926 the Byzantine general (strategos) Basil Klaudon reconstructed the fallen walls of the city, according to an inscription that is now in the archaeological museum of Kavala. Due to the location of Christoupolis, the city experienced an economic resurgence, securing the contact between Constantinople and Thessaloniki. During the Norman raid of Macedonia in 1185, the city was captured and burned. In 1302, the Catalans failed to capture the city. In order to prevent them from coming back, the Byzantine emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos built a new long defensive wall ("το παρά την Χριστούπολιν τείχισμα"). In 1357 it is mentioned that the Byzantine officers and brothers Alexios and John controlled the city and its territory. Recent excavations have revealed the ruins of an early Byzantine basilica under an old Ottoman mosque in the old part of the city (Panagia peninsula). This Christian temple was used until the late Byzantine era, as the also recently revealed small cemetery around it shows. The Ottoman Turks first captured the city in 1387 and completely destroyed it in 1391, as a Mount Athos chronicle testifies.
Further information: Ottoman Greece and Sanjak of Kavala
Residence of Muhammad Ali of Egypt.
Kavala was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1387 to 1912. In the middle of the 16th century, Ibrahim Pasha, Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent, contributed to the prosperity and growth of Kavala by the construction of an aqueduct. The Ottomans also extended the Byzantine fortress on the hill of Panagia. Both landmarks are among the most recognizable symbols of the city today.
Mehmet Ali, the founder of a dynasty that ruled Egypt, was born in Kavala in 1769. His house has been preserved as a museum.
Kavala was briefly occupied by the Bulgarians during the first Balkan War in 1912, but was finally captured by Greece in 1913 during a successful landing operation by the Greek Navy that was commanded by the famous admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis. During World War I Kavala suffered from the Bulgarian military occupation with many victims among its Greek population.[citation needed] After the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, the city entered a new era of prosperity because of the labour offered by the thousands of refugees that moved to the area from Asia Minor. The development was both industrial and agricultural. Kavala became greatly involved in the processing and trading of tobacco. Many buildings related to the storage and processing of tobacco from that era are preserved in the city.
During World War II and after the fall of Athens, the Nazis awarded Kavala to their Bulgarian allies in 1941, causing the city to suffer once again, but finally was liberated in 1944.
In the late 1950s Kavala expanded towards the sea by reclaiming land from the area west of the port.
In 1967, King Constantine II left Athens for Kavala in an unsuccessful attempt to launch a counter-coup against the military junta.
In antiquity the name of the city was Neapolis. During the Middle Ages it was Christoupolis. The etymology of the modern name of the city is disputed. There are some explanations, either from the Italian cavallo (=horse), or from the Hebrew Kabbalah due to the large Jewish population of the city.
Kamares (the old aqueduct), constructed in the Roman/Byzantine period, underwent extensive repairs during the Ottoman rule, particularly during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent and Legislator (c. 1530 AD). This double arch structure was designed to bridge the peninsula of Panagia with the foot of the mountain of Lekani. It was used to carry water from mountain sources ((6 km (4 miles)) north from the "Mother of Water", Soumpasi, or The Three Elms) in today's "Old Town" – Panagia, with the main water source situated at an altitude of 400 m and other lower sources of supply. 280 metres (920 ft) long and with a maximum height of 25 metres (82 ft), this grand monument consists of 60 arches of four different sizes. The most recent restoration work began in September 1997 with a mild technical assistance[clarification needed] Source: «Medieval Aqueduct of Kavala – Arcs», Publication of 12th Service of Byzantine and Ancient Antiquities, Kavala, 2008
The Castle of Kavala[3] dominates the top of the peninsula, where the old city is built. During the Byzantine period and later, repeated reconstruction works and fortification repairs were made by the Byzantines, Venetians and Turks. Each period in modern history has left traces on its walls. The castle (citadel) in its current form was built in the first quarter of the 15th century on a foundation from the Byzantine period. Cultural events are held in the outdoor theater.
The Imaret, a big edifice of the late Ottoman period, is a classic example of Islamic architecture located on the west side of the peninsula of Panagia (old town). It is one of the last built in this particular period and the only one that has survived almost intact. Its largest part was built between 1817–21 by the founder of the last Egyptian dynasty, Mehmet Ali. For sentimental reasons, the Wali of Egypt wanted to benefit his hometown with this religious, educational and charitable institution. It operated as a Muslim seminary, including a "workhouse" providing occupational training for all the poor of the city regardless of religion. Since 1922, the Imaret was used to house refugees. In 1931, in order for the adjacent street to be widened, a part of the Imaret was demolished. In 1967 the residents of the Imaret (mostly refugees) were ordered to leave, and the monument was sealed. Until the question of ownership was settled, the Imaret remained completely deserted. After property issues were resolved, a part of it operated as a bar and restaurant while other parts were used as warehouses. In 2001 it was leased for fifty years to an entrepreneur from Kavala, who restored and converted it into a luxurious and elegant hotel, which maintains something of the ambience of its era.[4]
The House of Mehmet Ali in the Old Town Square was the birthplace of Mehmet Ali, Ottoman Albanian ruler and founder of the last Egyptian dynasty. This beautiful building, an example of Macedonian architecture, is considered to be the property of Egypt. The "konaki" of Mehmet Ali has two floors. A bronze equestrian statue was built in the centre of the square in 1934 in honor of the Sultan of Egypt, a work of Greek sculptor Dimitriadis. Nowadays, the building is used for the purposes of the Mohammed Ali Institute.[5][not in citation given]
The Town Hall, a Hungarian miniature tower, was built around 1895 by the Hungarian tobacco trader Pierre Herzog. After his death the building passed into the possession of the "Limited Liability Company of Tobacco and Overseas". In 1937, under the administration of Mayor Athanasios Balanos, it was purchased by the Municipality of Kavala and has since housed the town hall.
Adolf Wix Mansion was built in 1899 by the German Baron Adolf Wix to serve as a centre of commercial activity and as a house. Architecturally speaking, it is very similar to the adjacent building of the current town hall. Today, after several changes in ownership, it belongs to the municipality of Kavala.
The Lazarists (Vincentians) Convent is located on Kipros Street and was built between 1888–92. The building has architectural elements mixed with neoclassical influence and was used as the French Embassy. Today it houses the only Catholic church in the city.
The building of the Megali Leschi (Great Greek Community Club) of Kavala was built in 1909 by the Ladies Philoptochos (Friends of the Poor) Sisterhood. It is a typical example of eclectic architectural style with a lot of embedded neoclassical motifs, e.g. columns, pediments, etc. Located next to the town hall, it is used for secular organizations and other social events. While generally of neoclassical form, it has some traditional architectural elements. Today, only part of the building is used for cultural events due to the restoration work that has already started.
Tokos Mansion was built in 1879 by Dimitrios Tokos, a tobacco trader, and its architectural style is influenced by romantic eclecticism. During the first years of the 20th century the Mansion was used as the Italian Subconsulate, and in 1911 it was purchased on behalf of the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Kavala (Friends of the Poor). From 1913 to 1937, it housed the town hall, and from its terrace in 1929 Eleftherios Venizelos made his speech. After the Second World War it housed the Private School Papassideri. Today it houses the Revenue Department of Byzantine Antiquities.
The Municipal Conservatory[6] (along with the adjacent building once owned by Kleon Krantonellis) is the oldest among the houses[clarification needed], having been built before 1864. It belonged to the N. and E. Grigoriadis brothers, two of the first tobacco traders. After World War I it served as a bank, and since 1987 (it was inaugurated in its present form in 1990) it has belonged to the Municipality of Kavala and houses the Municipal Conservatory. Its strong neoclassical design, its impressive frontons, the columns, and the sculptures indicate the architect's attempt to emphasize the city's power, wealth and national pride rooted in ancient tradition.

The Municipal Tobacco Warehouse was built during the two first decades of the 20th century as a tobacco warehouse for the Turkish tobacco trader Kizi Mimin. The building is characterized by architectural and morphological elements of Ottoman-Turkish and Neo-Classical architecture. Today it belongs to the Municipality of Kavala and will host exhibits of the Folk Museum of Kavala, the Tobacco Museum and series of temporary exhibitions.
The bronze statue of Nike (Victory) is in the public garden in front of the Town Hall. The relief image was created by sculptor Dionysios Gerolymatos and refers to the struggles of Greeks from ancient times up until 1940-41. The bronze statue is by sculptor John Parmakelis.